Everton host Premier League and Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Goodison Park on Saturday – but can Cenk Tosun make himself a Toffees hero?
Everton fans might not be going into this weekend’s Merseyside derby with a great deal of optimism.
The Toffees haven’t beaten their red clad neighbours since October 2010, a run of 16 games in all competitions. And the fans would have been watching on in trepidation as Liverpool thrashed Manchester City, who sauntered to a 3-1 win at Goodison Park just a week ago, in the Champions League quarter-finals.
But at least Everton will be welcoming Liverpool to the blue side of the city with a striker in top class form.
Cenk Tosun took a while to get going at Everton following his £27 million January move from Besiktas but now looks worth the wait.
Before the home defeat against City in which he barely had a meaningful touch in a side which managed a paltry 18 per cent possession, Tosun had scored four goals in three Premier League games – including both in a dramatic 2-1 win away at Stoke.
So if anyone is going to be Everton’s derby hero, and inspire a win against Liverpool for the first time since Tim Cahill and Mike Arteta sealed a 2-0 victory eight years ago, it is the Turkish goal machine.
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